?F**K This, I Was Hot?: Ahead of Playoff Battle Against Sixers, Rising Nets Star Mikal Bridges Could Have Revenge on His Mind Over 2018 Incident

Despite having high picks in the NBA draft, franchises sometimes tend to swap them along with players on draft night itself. One of the most iconic draft night trades was when the Atlanta Hawks traded Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks in return for Trae Young. A similar thing happened to rising star Mikal Bridges in the 2018 NBA Draft. Ahead of the first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets star opened up about his honest feelings following that trade in 2018 when he landed in Phoenix.

Mikal Bridges was born in Philadelphia and played for the Villanova Wildcats in college, winning two National Championships. So, naturally, it was a dream for Bridges to be drafted by his hometown team. While that dream came true, the happiness was swiftly taken away from Bridges in a matter of hours.

Mikal Bridges relives 2018 draft night

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Mikal Bridges 10th overall in the 2018 NBA draft. Bridges was over the moon and could not hide his excitement. However, his dream was short-lived as he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the draft rights to Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round pick.

The 6?8 forward recently made an appearance on the ?Point Forward? podcast where he discussed various things with co-hosts Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. It was Bridges? dream to go top 10 in the NBA draft and he was able to achieve that. The cherry on top was getting drafted by his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. But he soon learned about his draft night trade.

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While on the show, Bridges talked about how he felt. He said, ?I was pissed off. I couldn’t control my emotions. I was so mad. Even after everybody went out, I?m in my hotel room like, ?f**k this.? I was hot.??He also revealed that it took him some time to get over that trade.

While getting traded on draft night was disappointing for Bridges, he soon turned it around. The 26-year-old quickly established himself as an integral part of the Phoenix Suns. He played a pivotal role in the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in almost three decades. His consistent performances made him an important asset in the talks for a trade involving Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets.

Bridges might get his revenge soon

Seeing the story from the perspective of Mikal Bridges, one could relate to why he was angry over the trade. He wanted to stay close to home and play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, the business side of the league took over.

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Fortunately for Bridges, he went on to have a stellar five-year span with the Phoenix Suns. The Villanova alumnus was recently traded to the Nets who will be facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Bridges will certainly be itching to squash Philly’s dream and send them home.

What are your thoughts on Bridges’ draft night story? Let us know in the comments.